19m40s_06

6 august 2018, 7:40pm GMT+1

Astronomy and symphonic music meet in the famous suite dedicated to the planets of our solar system by Gustav Holst. The truth is that the English composer based his work on traditional astrology, rather than astronomy, and did not include Pluto in his seven-movement composition (funnily enough, Pluto itself was downgraded to dwarf-planet status in 2006, proving that Holst was somehow right).

As a music object, The Planets is at times mystical and celebratory, and it's been a goldmine for sci-fi and fantasy cinema. Bernhard Herrmann, Miklós Rózsa, John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Alan Silvestri, Danny Elfman, are among the ones that have generously borrowed music elements from it, and that's probably becausethe music of The Planets does seem to suggest cinematic visions.